Unit 1_Seed

Unit 1: Seed

Shijia Huang

Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Masters in Biodesign

2022/2023 Central Saint Martins UAL

Tutors: Nancy Diniz – Course Leader MA Biodesign, CSM

Alice Taylor – Lecturer of Biology and Living Systems MA Biodesign, CSM

Jon Flint, Lecturer in Design and Fabrication, MA Biodesign, CSM

Thora Arnardottir, Associate Lecturer Interdisciplinary Design Studios, MA Biodesign, CSM UAL

Alejandro Luna – Associate Lecturer in Sustainability and Innovation, MA Biodesign, CSM UAL

Lorraine Archer – Associate Lecturer Environmental Science, MA Biodesign CSM

Anouk Zeeuw van der Laan - Associate Lecturer in Sustainability and Circular Economy MABD CSM

Lucrezia Alessandroni - Biodesigner, Graduate Teaching Assistant MABD CSM

Paula Corsini - Specialist Grow Lab Technician CSM

Shem Johnson - Specialist Grow Lab Technician CSM

Mapping Ecosystems

well-lit + bare wood (exposed by damage)

= mosses, liverworts, lichens, algae and micro-fungi

age of the tree

= amount of epiphytic species

after life

Hampstead Heath Park

‘Ancient trees are precious. there is little else on earth that plays host to such a richt community of life within a single organism.’

Sir David Attenborough

Softened up wood allows invertebrates to feed / decompose the wood further

In modern western culture, when a human body dies, it usualy gets taken out of the greater ecosystem. Thus, breaking its interconnectedness with the world around it. Worryingly this approach has crept into the way we manage forests. however, When tree die, but are allowed to stay a part of their environment, they shift their role in the emerging ecosystem - One that creates a vital and critical environment for plantae, animals, fungi, and other microorganisms.

They all thrive in a tree’s afterlife

Saproxylic fungi

Decaying wood

Hampstead Heath

Ecosystem

Ways of Seeing

Different ways of seeing from different animals on site

Ladybug Vision

Ladybugs have compound eyes, however, they are colour blind, so that can only see in shades of black, white and grey.

Ant VisionAntshave compound eyeswith many units, called ommatidia.Their worldis blurrier than ours.

Humaneyehas

visiblelight spectrum. These coloursare blue, green,andred.

three typesof conesthat allowustoseethe

Human Vision

ultraviolet spectrum.

Bee Vision Beescanonlysee yellow, green, blue,and coloursonthe

Bird Vision BirdscanseeUV light. Someof themcan evensee magneticfields

Dog Vision

Dogs have dichromatic vision, possessing only two types of cones . They can only discern blue and yellow.

Samples observation and Lab Experiments

Mapping Ecosystem

Prediction

2012 2008 2019 Present

Declining oak tree. There was no regeneration present.

Regeneration started, young trees began to grow around it.

Regeneration developing through the years. More and more trees and bushes appeared around the dead oak tree.

2030?

Regeneration is taking over the place. The small plants gradually replace the dead one, using the nutrients that the dead oak no longer need.

2013 2016 2050?

The tree’s roots were damaged when the adjacent path was installed. It was crown reduced in 2013 due to a significant lean and the presence of a hollowing stem and wood decay fungi Fistulina hepatica.

Present

In 2016 it was noticed that this tree had a cracked buttress root, and eventually fell the following day during calm conditions.

This fallen oak tree has been retained as it provides a valuable saproxylic resource. A new ecosystem emerges when it died.

The new ecosystem gradually take over the fallen oak, using the nutrients that the oak tree build itself during its lifetime.

Present

Due to some unknown reasons, a branch of the tree suddenly fallen down.

Leaves on the fallen branch began to rotten. Moss stared to grew on it.

2030?

Moss and fungi take over the dead branch. Small plants growing along side. A competition takes place. Who will win in the end?

02 Green Planet

Fruits and Seeds

Anatomy

Plum Drupe Banana Berry

Pomegranate Berry

Cucumber Pepo

Exocarp (Taste & Scent)

Exocarp (Scent)

Endocarp Endocarp

Mesocarp (Taste & Scent)

Mesocarp (Scent)

Aborted seed

Exocarp

Mesocarp

Endocarp (white)

Arils

Exocarp

Arils

Endocarp Seed coat

Seed

Arils Seed Seed coat

Mesocarp Seed

NO Endocarp

Plants Experiments and Observation

Leaf cutting propagation

Hormonal control in meristems

Hormonal Control in seeds

Result:

Mose of the leaves are starting to wither and turn yellow, only the succulent plant remains green.

MS plant growing media + 1.0 mg/l GA3 hormone

Result:

MS plant growing media + 0.25 IAA plant hormone

MS plant growing media + 1.0 mg/l GA3 hormone

MS plant growing media + 0.25 IAA plant hormone

The edges of leaves are darkening, there is no significant difference between two hormone media.

Result: Seeds in both vials have germinated.

03 Feral Metropolis

Re:Rewilding

Hollow Pond, Leytonstone Desertification

Context:

2022 Heatwave

Summer wildfire in London

Desertification is a type of land degradation in drylands. We were given this brief to challenge ourselves to find a type of solution that would somewhat solve the problem of desertification. We had a series of experiments conducted focused on desertification. We’ve explained the process of each section of our project “Re:Rewilding”.

Location

Unburnt area with trees and green grass

Prediction

Due to global warming, the temperature is predicted to increase from 40 °C-50 °C and by 2050 Hollow pond park might turn into a semi-arid desert.

Burnt area

Feral Metropolis

Problems

Nutrient analysis

Soil samples collected from burnt and unburnt area

Soil Layers

Surface layers

Grass / Moss,ferns / Algae / Roots

Organic debris, partly decomposed (O horizons)

Top soil

Carbon rich soil (3cm)

Organic debris, partly decomposed (O horizons)

PH - Acidic (3.5)

PH - Acidic (3.5)

Nitrates - very low

Nitrates - low

Phosphates - very low

Phosphates - low

Potassium - very low

Potassium - low

Carbon - High

Carbon - Medium

Subsoil

Dry soil

Mineral particles mixed with organic material (A horizons)

Parent material

Gravel bed

Compounds draining from above accumulate (B horizons)

Partlyweathered rock (C horizon)

Bedrock (R horizon)

Burnt area

Unburnt area

Problems

Our soil analysis consisting of nutrient analysis of nitrates, phosphates, potassium and other testes consisting of PH analysis, carbon content analaysis, silica content and funnel test. For other soil biodiversity coupled with our observation on site helped us understand the reason behind the lack of biodiversity in the area as well as the complex causal relationship of the various factors that lead to desertification. While the unburnt area had biodiversity levels building up starting from algae, moss, ferns and grasses sharing the same surface , the burnt area lacked that diversity due to the morphology of the soil that consisted of mostly silica and carbon that only allowed grasses to grow, which are more susceptible to wildfires and clearly demonstrated loss of biodiversity pointing towards desertification.

Reduced carbon sequestration into above and below grounds carbon reserves

Hollow Pond

Desertification

Accelerated by Global warming

Decreased plant and soil organism species diversity agravated by soil morphology

On-site Experiments

Increase in extreme events like droughts and wildfires

Reduced primary production and nutrient cycle

Reduced soil conservation

Soil erosion

Climate Change

Reduced carbon reserves and increased CO2 emis

Loss of nutrients and soil moisture

Reduced structural diversity of vegetation cover and diversity of microbial species in soil crust

Biodiversity Loss

Increase and reduction in species abundences

Change in community structure and diversity

Hybrid cacti-machine system

The role of the machine system is to create and sustain an ideal environment consisting of replinishing nutrients and moisture in the soil before and after the event which involves extensive planting of bio-hybrid plants. These machines are a hybrid between an actual cacti and an artifical machines. They mimic the functionary processes such as entrapment, storage and distribution of moisture and nutrients in cacti and uses membrane sacks, vascular networks developed from the cacti tissues those are connected with spohisticated artifical machines with its own sensors and intellect. They form a complex symbiotic relationship with each other and the environment complex root like network like real organisms in any given environment.

The system consists of 4 different cacti-hybrid pods that works in a system together in a root like network spread accross the landscape. Each pod has specific role to play where the pod trapping, storing and distributing water is the central and a set radius where it impacts. Connected to each other with a root like neural network fitted with the sensor they work in a symbiotic harmony that studies the needs of soil and each others needs and perform accordingly by distributing the nutrients throughout the landscape. All pods mimic the vascular system of cacti where one tube transports water from the tank to the culture pods and the other transports cultured algae from the culture pods to the soil.

Feral Metropolis

Feral Metropolis

Hybrid cacti-machine system

Sections

Water absorption Water storage tank

Water absorption and transfer through roots

Stomata plugs for air exchanging.

Moss and lichen culture room

Moss and lichen culture room

Water pump

Green Algae Injection Tube

Culturing Cells

Sterm for water pumping

Water absorption through trichome

Air changing through stomata

Algae spreading

Water pump

Cyanobacteria Injection Tube

Culturing Cells

Sterm for water pumping

Water absorption through trichome

Air changing through stomata

Cyanobacteria spreading

Water pump

Hybrid cacti-machine system

Feral Metropolis

04

Living Minerals

Swarovski X MA Biodesign

Project DNA

Classic Romance

Stylish taste

Elegant style

Can we bring the living organisms into crystal coloration process and have a positive impact on our planet?

Brand color vision: To provide color-matched gemstones that are readyto-set to companies and private customers around the world.

Sustainability

To add sparkle in people’s everyday life.

Sustainable goals: Six strategies

Greenhous Gas Emissions

Melting glacier the Alps

Global warming

Biodiversity change

Use color to represent the color change of biodiversity around the Alps

Living Minerals

Swarovski and Astrian Alps

Location

Daniel Swarovski and his partners find the ideal location for their company in Wattens in the Austrian Alps.

Climate Change

Satellite image shows that from 2021 to 2022, there are a great amount of glacier mass had disappeared because of global warming

Wattens

Swarovski birthplace

Natural Barrier

The Alps provide seclusion, safe from imitation

Water Source

The water from the Alps power the machines in Wattens

The consequences of global warming

Greener Mountain

Global warming makes the Alps greener and greener

Vicious circle

Greener mountains reflect less sunlight lead to further warming, and further shrinkage of snow cover

Migrating

Species migrating upwards

Biodiversity Loss

Specialised species in Alps lose their advantage and outcompeted

Wattens

Alps Mountains

Glaciers near Zermatt in July 2021 – a ‘normal’ year. Copernicus Sentinel / European Space Agency - ESA, CC BY-NC

The same glaciers in July 2022. Copernicus Sentinel / European Space Agency - ESA, CC BY-NC

Swarovski and Colors

Coloration process for SWAROVSKI crystals

Color of Swarovski

Components Collection

New opportunities of Color

Color extracted from living organisms

Raw materials

Melting Adding metal oxides in melting process to change crystal color

Finishing

Using PVD (Physical vapor deposition) to create a coating

Cutting

Living Minerals

Lab Experiments

Living Bacteria

Bacterial medium on crystals Bacteria grow around crystals

Bacterial culture on Petri dish

Bacterial culture on Petri dish (Day 3)

Living Minerals

Lab Experiments

Pigment Extraction

Bacterial extracted pigments

Pigments extraction

Bacterial culture on plates

Lab Experiments

Coating of Crystal

Plan A: Put the crystal into the bacterial petri dish and cultivate it together.

Plan B: Cover the surface of the crystal with agar, then incubate the bacterial pigment.

Plan C: Coating made from agar

Plan D: Coating made from agar with an Alpine shaped backing

Shaping cellulose Dyeing of cellulosic fibres

Cellulose extraction from pineapple

Plan D: Using dyed cellulose to creating the crystal back-

Living Minerals

Final Prototype

Diagrams

Moulding / 3D Glass Printing

Bacterial pigments

Plugging screw Rings

05 Field Trip Documentation

Hampstead Heath

Dead Trees and After lifes

Hampstead Heath

Sample Collections

Sample Preparation

Margate: Haeckels

Seaweeding

Lab - Extractions

Seaweeds under microscope

06 Grow Lab Experiments

Pigments Extraction

Bacteria Pigments

Protocol:

S. marcescens pigment production medium

Yeast Extract: 10g

Dextrose: 1.8g

K2HPO4: 0.1025g

KH2PO4: 0.068g

Calcium Chloride: 11g

Sodium Chloride: 11g

Agar (plate culture): 15g

Distilled water 1000.0 ml

J. lividum pigment production medium

Yeast Extract: 2g

Meat Peptone: 5g

Glucose: 10g

Sodium Chloride: 5g

Agar (plate culture): 15g

Distilled water 1000.0 ml

Reference

Water science school (no date) Water Science School | U.S. Geological Survey. Available at: https://www.usgs.gov/special-topics/water-science-school (Accessed: December 6, 2022).

Wilkinson, C. (2022) What will British weather actually be like in 2050? we asked an expert, Time Out Worldwide. Time Out. Available at: https://www.timeout. com/news/what-will-british-weather-actuallybe-like-in-2050-we-asked-an-expert-071822 (Accessed: December 6, 2022).

(no date) Twitter. Twitter. Available at: https://twitter.com/Syntropynet (Accessed: December 6, 2022).

(no date) YouTube. YouTube. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=WYXvv2Xug-+c&list=PLFbdPS_gmPKEX5b25T-kTrrrow7X2m-+WIU&index=8&t=5413s (Accessed: December 6, 2022).

Paul, V. (no date) Mycorrhizae. Available at: https://www2.nau.edu/~gaud/ bio300/mycorrhizae.htm (Accessed: December 6, 2022).

Benefits of mycorrhizal fungi (no date) Horizon Distributors - Irrigation& Landscape Supply. Available at: https://www.horizononline.com/benefits-of-mycorrhizal-fungi-how-do-mycorrhizal-fungi-benefit-plants/ (Accessed: December 6, 2022).

Jamie (2022) How to get burnt grass green again, The Backyard Pros. Available at: https://thebackyardpros.com/how-